A locking mechanism of the abovementioned type is described for example in Austrian Patent No. 351 979. A holding bar is secured in this conventional mechanism to the upper side of the ski on both sides of the cross-country plate. Small plates are provided on the cross-country plate, which small plates have sloped grooves, into which engage pegs of an operating slide member. By moving the operating slide member in longitudinal direction of the ski, the small plates can be moved under the holding bar. A further embodiment provides cam plates lying in recesses of the cross-country plate and can be engaged with or disengaged from the holding bars by means of operating flaps through rotation. In these conventional embodiments, however, it is disadvantageous for the skier to have to step out of the cross-country binding as soon as he wants to unlock the cross-country plate for cross-country skiing or wants to lock same for the downhill skiing. Also it has been proven in practice that for operating the operating flaps a special tool is required since these can be swung manually only through the exertion of a large amount of force.